Does this Surprise Anyone?

As some of you are aware, I am a giant fan of the Vendor Boondoggle. You know where you're the customer and your vendors give you lots of cool shit just becuause you are doing business with them. I have been on the receiving end of some really incredible things through my job. To give you an idea, over the past 10 years, I've gone to easily 20 Chicago Bears games at Solider Field. During that entire time, I've only sat outside in the elements twice. Every other time has been from the open bar comfort of a luxury skybox.

Well as luck would have it the Vendor Fairies were looking down upon me once again for opening day at Wrigley. One of my vendors who will remain nameless has the easily 4 of the best seats in Wrigley Field. They are in the 3rd row right behind the Cubs dugout near the batter's circle. If you've never been that close, it's a surreal experience. When the players come off the field, they are literally an arms reach away. One of the only drawbacks is that you really need to pay attention to the game lest take a foul ball in the noggin ala Drew Barrymore in Fever Pitch.

Another drawback which it took this game for me to figure out by the way is that you are on TV a lot. I am sure if you are dad with your kids and they are trying to have them show their fucking "Hi Mom!!!" sign on TV so that mom can ooh and ahh from home or perhaps a good looking girl in a low cut blouse who doesn't mind having her tits shown on WGN then this is all well and good. However, if you are a good looking semi-divorced guy dating two girls at once and one of them has a slacker job that allows her to be home in the afternoon to watch the Cubs on TV, then not so much. To make matter worse the Cubs new player Fukedome (which I think is really pronounced...fuck you, do me) hit a 3 run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game causing the crowd including me and Girl 1 to go wild for the television cameras. Then they were nice enough to show shot of Girl 1 and I celebrating no less than 1700 times for Girl 2. So much in fact that Girl 2 now refers to Girl 1 as Brown Haired Girl in White Hoodie at least to my face. I am sure that she uses another moniker with her girl friends.

Well we will just need to chalk this up a New Single Guy Learning Experience #1. Okay, I am sure it's not number one, but it's in the top 20 or so.